Taxi Drivers Across The Country Join Lawsuit Against Uber

More than 1000 drivers

28 November 2018

A Victorian lawsuit against Uber will be expanded to include taxi and hire car drivers from three more states across Australia.

Thousands of people from Queensland, NSW and Western Australia are expected to join the class action over claims they lost business when the ride-sharing giant entered the market without legal approval in 2014.

More than 1000 taxi and hire car drivers, operators and licence owners have already registered to join the class action in Victoria, where it was first launched.

"This class action will likely be one of the biggest in Australia on any measure," Elizabeth O'Shea, senior associate at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, said.

"The number of people involved, the potential recovery of compensation for law-abiding operators and licence holders, and no doubt the extent of the fight we are anticipating from the defendants."

The lawsuit is expected to be lodged in the Victorian Supreme Court and if successful the law firm believes Uber could be forced to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars.

Rod Barton, president of the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Association of Australia, welcomed the news that thousands more drivers will now be involved.

"We are glad to have paved the way for these other states to come on board and join this action as a way to hold Uber to account for the damage it caused to our industry," he said.